Prolonged sitting can lead to back pain, which can become chronic and lead to other problems. Thankfully truck drivers can reduce the risks by following tips in this new video from WorkSafeBC. Adjusting backrests, seats, mirrors, and other parts of the cab helps. So does safe exiting – using 3-point contact – and taking frequent breaks to get out of the truck and walk around.
I asked safety advisor Earl Galavan about the prevalence of back strain among the employers he helps at the Trucking Safety Council of BC. He sent me a link to this baseline report that shows back injury is the number one body part injured in both General Trucking and Moving and Storage classification units. Earl said to note pages 9 and 13, where you will find more information – including the fact that back strains accounted for more than $10 million in claim costs from 2007 to 2011.
